Great Sandy National Park (Cooloola)

The Cooloola section is the mainland section of the Great Sandy National Park, containing wetland landscapes, sand dunes and one of the two only everglades systems in the world. It is one of the most diverse and scenic national parks in the state, and arguably, there's no other park that is quite like Great Sandy National Park.

The Cooloola section of the Great Sandy National Park is part of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere program, a program which aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments. Since 2010, it has been on the tentative list for world heritage.

Get in
To reach the southern point of the park, from Noosa, head northwest onto McKinnon Drive, and after 13.5 km, at the end of the road, turn right onto Louis Basso Drive. Then after 5 km turn right onto the unsealed Elanda Point Road until the end till habitatnoosa. From Pomona, just use Louis Basso Drive until you see a habitatnoosa sign.

Use Rainbow Beach Road to reach the northern section of the park.

Fees and permits
A vehicle access permit fee applies for certain sections of Cooloola Recreation Area. If you book online, the fee for a day is A$14.40, but is A$21.80 if you obtain the permit physically.